No respite from heat for Delhi: Meteorological department

New Delhi: It was a blazing weekend across northern and central India with Delhi recording its hottest day of the season on Sunday at 46.1 degrees Celsius - five notches above average. Other states like Haryana and Rajasthan experienced hotter temperatures.

No respite is expected as the dry heat is likely to continue, according to the Meteorological department. The temperature in the capital is expected to hover around a high of 45-46 degrees for the entire week.

Residents of Delhi can look forward to some respite next week with a slight dip in the highs which will hover around 42 degrees.

An intense heat wave has been sweeping across large parts of India from the plains of Punjab and Haryana to Maharashtra's Vidarbha region even as early monsoon has arrived in Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Temperatures on Sunday soared to 47 degrees in Maharashtra's Nagpur, and over 43 degrees even in Himachal hills. Orange city Nagpur - which is the geographical centre of India - on Saturday recorded a maximum of 47 degrees, making it the hottest place in the country.

In Punjab, the temperatures were 6 to 7 degrees above average at most places. Amritsar and Ludhiana were the hottest with highs of 45.4 degrees. Patiala town recorded a high of 44.4 degrees. Chandigarh had a high of 42.1 degrees, four degrees above average.